Fight For Your Right (To Party)
by Theoretical-Optimist
Summary: Scorpius helps Rose salvage the night after Albus wrecks her first party. Written for Round 7 of The Houses Competition (year two)


House: Gryffindor

Position: HoH

Category: Theme (Fluff!)

Prompt: Hotel Key

Word Count (excluding header and AN): 3092

Beta: Tigger

AN- This features some spoilers for the _Pitch Perfect_ movies. They're one of my go-tos when I'm having a lousy day and need a good laugh.

* * *

Rose flitted about the hotel suite. If everyone was on time, her first guest should be arriving in less than five minutes. Given that most of her guests were her Weasley cousins, that was a big if.

She adjusted the empty wine glasses on the counter of the kitchenette. Noticing a small finger print on the stem of one glass, she quickly cast a polishing charm. She wanted this party to be all Muggle, but no one would know the difference.

Once she was certain that the crystal was shining, she triple checked that each snack bowl and plate was appropriately full with delicious morsels. A classy baked brie with honey, nuts, and dried fruit tempted her to take a taste. The crab puffs were carefully arranged in an alternating pattern with stuffed mushrooms. And you couldn't walk more than ten feet in the suite without encountering a tray full of decadent chocolate treats.

She was satisfied that everything was in order for her first real party. Sure, she'd thrown summer picnics at her parents' house for her friends and family. But she'd never organized a sophisticated party all on her own. Ideally, she'd have loved to host at her flat, but even with copious enlargement charms, the tiny shoebox she lived in wouldn't fit even half of her guests.

As Rose was fluffing the throw pillows on one of the couches, she heard a key turning in the hotel suite's door. She smoothed her cute, aqua blue cocktail dress as she raced to greet her first guests.

"ROSEY!" yelled James. He barreled through the door with Fred on his heels. They were dressed in their usual attire: skinny jeans and WWW slogan tees. Both boys carried large bags filled to the brim.

"You didn't need to bring anything with you," Rose said, although she was secretly happy that her cousins were thoughtful enough to want to contribute.

Fred shrugged. "Al told us that you wanted all these things."

"What do you mean, 'Al told you?' All I said was for you all to be here at 8 and to pick up your hotel keys from the concierge," Rose said.

"Huh," Fred said. "Al said- oof," James cut him off by driving an elbow into his gut.

"Al said, what?"

James and Fred were saved from having to explain with the sound of another key turning in the lock.

"The party has arrived!" Albus declared. He was carrying a large cardboard box. Rose could hear the sounds of clinking glass as he lugged the box into the suite. "Where do you want the booze?"

"I told you not to bring anything, Al. But thanks, I guess? You can put the white in the fridge to chill. I've got a nice Bordeaux in the decanter right now, but we can open whatever you've brought and let it breathe if you prefer that."

"Booze, Rose. Not any of that fruity feet smelling stuff." He hoisted the box onto the counter, jostling her carefully arranged hors d'oeuvres. He pulled out a half dozen bottles of cheap vodka and various colas and juices. "Real booze. Lily will be coming soon with a couple packs of beer for the light weights."

"NO!" Rose screamed.

"Don't worry, I brought your favorite orange soda for you to mix your drinks with," Albus assured her.

"ARGH! No, Albus. You're ruining everything."

"I just thought you'd want your first party to be interesting."

"So I'm boring then?!" asked Rose.

"I didn't say that," argued Albus. "But the ideas you shared for this party were boring."

Rose erupted. "I just wanted this night to be nice. All I asked is that you showed up, on time, and dressed smartly."

"I was only a minute late!"

"But you failed at every other part. Did you even shower after your Herbology internship with Uncle Neville?"

Albus brushed a chunk of dirt off his jeans, confirming her point. "I didn't want to be late."

"I wish you'd never come!" Rose cried. "I had everything planned out and you ruined it for me." She chucked a throw pillow at his head.

Albus held his hands in front of him in defense. "I'm sorry, Rosey! I just wanted to make the party a lot of fun for everyone. I'll put my stuff away. We can do things your way." He started to pack away the bottles of alcohol and James and Fred jammed their bags full again.

"No," Rose said, trying to hold back her tears. "It's too late. Just go."

"But Rose—"

"GO! Leave your keys!" she ordered. "And the box of booze," she added as an afterthought.

Given her an apologetic look, James dug his key out of his pocket and left it next to the crab puffs. He and Fred quickly ran out of the hotel suite.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I'll make it up to you. I promise," Albus said as he laid his key down beside James's.

When the door closed behind him, Rose dialed the lobby desk and ordered that the staff stop handing out keys. The concierge assured Rose that three keys had already been issued and they would put a stop on handing out more. Rose assumed that Fred had been given a key as well, and neglected to hand his over.

Once that was completed, Rose allowed her eyes to well up with tears. She wanted this night to be perfect and Albus had wrecked it. Her party wasn't going to be boring; it was supposed to be classy.

She harshly wiped at her eyes. She headed over to the kitchenette, figuring she could pour herself a large glass of the lovely Bordeaux and salvage her night. She had seen a large Jacuzzi tub in the bedroom of the suite when she'd checked in.

Rose picked up the decanter of wine and was just about to pour herself a glass when she noticed the bottles of vodka that she'd commanded Albus to leave behind. She set the wine down, and transfigured one of her spotless wine glasses into a highball. She poured a few fingers worth of vodka and topped it off with her favorite orange soda. Taking the entire tray of crab puffs, she plunked down on the couch.

She was scanning through the rentable movies on the telly, when she heard a key turning in the door. Rose whipped her head around to see a late party-goer entering the suite.

"Go away, Scorpius," she said as she turned her attention back to her search for a decent film to watch. _Pitch Perfect_ seemed like it could be promising.

"Sorry I'm late, Rose. I got caught up at dinner with my grandparents. Had to schmooze with them a bit before I could sneak down into the wine cellar and nick a bottle of rosé." He glanced around the empty suite. "Don't tell me I'm the first to arrive? I know your family is perpetually late, but this is something else."

"James, Fred, and Albus were here. I sent them away." Rose turned to face Scorpius. "And I'd prefer it if you'd leave as well so I can find a nice chick flick and wallow in peace with my alcohol, crab puffs, and chocolate."

Disregarding her orders, Scorpius set the rosé in the fridge, poured himself a glass of red, and sat down next to her on the couch. "What are we watching?" He placed with hotel key on the coffee table.

"You aren't going to leave?"

"Nope! Why would I leave you alone in a hotel room so that you could just drink and watch ridiculous girly movies? My father would never let me hear the end of it for acting so unchivalrous."

Rose snorted into her drink. "Unchivalrous? You? Never."

"I'm glad you agree. Now, let's see if we can find something good to watch." He reached for the remote in her hand, but she swatted him away.

"I'll have you know that _Pitch Perfect_ is one of my favorite movies."

"Ugh," he groaned. "Let me guess: it ends with the guy getting the girl and everyone living happily ever after?"

"You haven't even seen it and you're judging it?" Rose asked.

He gestured towards the screen with his wine glass. "All of these movies are the same. They're predictable."

"You sound just like Beca."

"Who?"

"Get comfy, because I'm going to give you a movi-cation."

"Fine, fine," Scorpius griped, but Rose could see the smirk on his face. He stood up and loosened his silk tie and undid the top two buttons of his oxford.

"You dressed up?" Rose asked, quietly.

He shrugged. "That's what you said to do."

"No one else did."

"Did you really expect Albus to get dolled up for you? I'd be shocked if he bothered to wash the greenhouse grime off before venturing into a posh hotel."

Rose laughed loudly. "You're right! I need to make sure I vanish the dirt tracks he left behind."

"Why don't I take care of that while you go change into something more comfortable. As wonderful as you look in that dress, it's not proper movie watching, couch lounging attire."

Rose blushed at the compliment. When she noticed Scorpius smirking at her reaction, she flushed some more.

"Be right back," she called as she rushed into the bedroom. Her eyes fell onto her open suitcase and she groaned. She didn't expect to have company when she'd packed her pajamas: a pair of Gryffindor boxers and a white tank top. Given that her only other options were to remain in her cocktail dress or put on her skinny jeans for tomorrow, she quickly dressed in the skimpy pajamas. Thankfully, she'd thought to pack her Weasley jumper, so it wasn't as terrible as it could be.

When Rose emerged from the bedroom, she found Scorpius settled back onto the couch.

"Uh, Rose? I think you forgot something."

She glanced around but couldn't immediately spot anything missing. "What?"

"Where are you pants?"

Rose's eyes fell to her bare legs and she realized that her oversized jumper covered her very short boxers. "Oh, Merlin. I swear I'm not naked. See?" she lifted the hem of the jumper to reveal the shorts.

Scorpius chuckled. "Two years out of school and you're still wearing red and gold."

"Yes, well," she harrumphed. "So what if I am? I bet you wear green boxers all the time!" she declared. 'So there' she thought.

"Are you interested in finding out?" he asked, slyly. When Rose turned the same red shade as her pajamas, he took pity on her. "Come on over here so we can start this movie. I brought over all the snacks."

Rose dove onto the couch and summoned a throw blanket to cover her bare legs. "So this is _Pitch Perfect_. It's about a university acapella singing group." She pressed the play button on the remote.

"I'm sure I can figure it out, Rose. But if I have any questions, I'll be sure to ask." He stole a corner of the throw blanket and pulled it over his lap. With a flick of his wand, he dimmed the lights in the hotel switch.

* * *

"I was right," Scorpius said as the end credits rolled.

Rose had readjusted during the movie so that her feet were propped on Scorpius's lap. He'd been massaging her calves and tired feet since about an hour into the film; he was very skilled at massages, Rose decided.

"Right about what?"

"The guy gets the girl and they live happily ever after."

Rose blinked rapidly. "That's all you got out of the movie? Not anything about how creativity and persistence are key to success? Tell me you at least enjoyed the music!" she demanded.

"The music was great, I'll give you that. But you could see the ending coming. Of course she was going to use the song from _The Breakfast Club_ to make up with her love interest."

"I thought it was sweet," Rose said.

"I didn't say it wasn't romantic. Just predictable."

"Ah, so in addition to being chivalrous, you're also a romance expert."

He shrugged. "I'm working on that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Rather than answer, Scorpius stole the remote and started scanning for another film.

"Oh, no you don't. If the magic of _Pitch Perfect_ didn't ensnare you, we have to watch the sequel to convert you to a fan."

"There's _two_ of them?" he asked.

"Three actually," she replied with a grin. "And we've got all night."

* * *

"You win, Rose. That movie was in no way predictable. Who would have thought that Fat Amy's father was an international criminal? Or that Lilly's real name is Esther and she's been possessed by Satan this whole time?"

"I told you so." She stuck out her tongue before she took another sip of her drink.

Over the course of the three films, Rose and Scorpius had managed to drink the decanter of Bordeaux, a third of the bottle of vodka, and were on their last glasses of the fantastic rosé Scorpius had brought. The crab puffs and baked brie had been devoured and they took turns summoning bowls of chocolate from around the room.

Sometime around the middle of the third film, Rose had shifted once again so that she was snuggled into Scorpius's chest. His arm had drifted over her shoulder to pull her close.

"What time is it?" she asked with a tired voice.

Scorpius cast a _tempus_ charm and a wispy clock appeared on the wall. "Just about 4am." He fought back a yawn.

"I know I should drag myself to the bedroom, but I'm too tired to move."

"I don't know about you," Scorpius whispered into her hair, "but I'm very comfortable here."

"I'm using you as a pillow, Scorpius," Rose pointed out.

He shuffled them around so that he was lying on the couch with her pressed into his side. "I'm happy to be your personal pillow."

"How romantic," she attempted to joke but was foiled by a yawn.

"I'm working on it."

* * *

Rose came awake slowly. One by one, her senses returned to her and she found herself lying, very comfortably, on top of a very unconscious Scorpius Malfoy. Her eyes darted about the hotel suite to find empty glasses and demolished snack plates. Her nose prickled with the woodsy and cotton scent of Scorpius.

Suddenly, she heard an odd noise from the hallway. It sounded like someone was trying to jam a key into the locked door. Rose quickly took mental inventory of the keys. James and Albus's keys were on the counter. The key that Rose had assumed was issued to Fred but must have been given to Scorpius was on the coffee table. And the concierge had assured Rose that no more keys would be handed out.

Trying not to wake Scorpius, Rose batted her hand around the table for her wand.

The sounds from the hallway increased until Rose could make out distinctive muttering.

"Give it a rest, Ron. She's probably sound asleep."

"I don't know why the hotel wouldn't just give me a key when I said I was her father. I need to know that my little girl is safe. ARGH! Enough with these Muggle lock picking tricks. _Alohomora!_ "

Before Rose had a chance to react, the door burst open and her father, mother and Uncle Harry burst through.

"Rosie!" Ron cried as he spotted his daughter. "Ferret!" he snarled as he summoned the blanket they were under. "UNDA-PANTS!"

Rose screeched as sat up and tried to pull her Weasley jumper down to her knees. "DAD!"

By this point, Scorpius was fully awake. He had a second to sit up before Ron hauled him off the couch.

Thankfully, the cooler heads of Hermione and Harry prevailed. With a quick spell, Ron was stunned and Scorpius scrambled towards Rose.

"Are you alright?" he asked while patting her face to check for distress.

"Embarrassed is all," she said as she buried her face into his chest and blushed fiercely.

Scorpius cleared his throat and addressed her family. "Can I help you?"

Harry said, "Albus came by last night and told us how he wrecked your party. When you didn't come back to your flat, your dad got a bit worried."

"And you thought the proper response was to break into a Muggle hotel suite to check?"

Ron muttered, "Well, when you put it that way."

"I told you, Ronald," scolded Hermione.

"You're all missing the big picture here. Our Rosey is camped out in a hotel suite, practically naked, with a Malfoy for crying out loud!"

Rose yanked her jumper up to reveal her pajamas. "Merlin, Dad! Could you be any more embarrassing?"

"Well, what's Malfoy doing here?" Ron asked, petulantly.

"He was an invited guest. He showed up after Albus wrecked the party I'd planned and refused to leave. We ate all the snacks I made, drank some fantastic wine, and watched movies."

"And nothing happened," Ron prompted.

"So what if it did?" Rose asked. "Scorpius is a really nice guy and you'd know that if you could ever see past your prejudice for his last name."

Ron's mouth opened and closed like a fish. Hermione clasped a hand on his shoulder and guided him back out the hotel door. "Rose, give me a call after you check out of the hotel. I'll take care of your father." Harry quickly followed his friends out into the hall and shut the door behind him.

"Rose," Scorpius started.

She held up a finger. "Wait a minute." She walked over to the door and started casting privacy and locking wards. "There! Now, no one is getting in without a real hotel key."

"Did you mean what you said, Rose?" Scorpius asked cautiously.

"You're a good guy, Scorpius. You made me smile and laugh and helped me recover what was turning into a disastrous night."

"Glad to be of service."

"Some people might call it chivalrous. Maybe even romantic."

He smiled. "I told you I was working on it."

"Maybe you can work on it by taking me out on a date tonight?" she asked.

"It would be my honor." He gave her a little bow causing her to giggle.

Her laugh was interrupted by a violent yawn. "We can discuss the details of our date after we get a bit more sleep."

He swept her up into his arms and carried her back over to the couch. Together, they snuggled under the blanket and quickly fell asleep.


End file.
